My AAR:
Equipment:
Prior Experience:
Multiple classes with Patrick Rogers/EAG Tactical, Patrick Mcnamara TAPS Pistol and Rifle, Patrick Mcnamara TAPS Instructor, Frank Proctor Performance Pistol and Rifle, FLETC Firearms Instructor Training Program, FLETC Advanced Pistol Training Program, NRA LE Division Handgun/Shotgun Instructor, Tom Givens Instructor Development, Tom Givens Advanced Instructor, Rogers Shooting School, William Petty VCQB Instructor, Glock Operator Course, Alexander Global Strategies Executive Protection Course, FLETC Basic Tactical Medical Instructor Training Program, FLETC Active Shooter Threat Instructor Training Program, ITTS (Keary Miller) Law Enforcement Tactical Trauma Course, several hundred hours of department firearms training, several regional firearms courses.
Range:
Meadhall Range, Mcloud, OK (approximately 20 mins East of OKC). Outdoor range with 10 lanes, goes back to 300+ yards, however we used from the 25 in. Range has steels (including a crit-hit hostage target, and a plate rack), turning targets and moving targets (currently being refurbished), indoor (clean) restrooms (for both males and females). Current owner is in the process of upgrading the facility.
Full disclosure: The range owner is one of my oldest friends, so I may be biased, but the facility is very nice, and will offer some capabilities that are far from common in most civilian ranges.
Class Demographics:
7 students – two cops, a doctor, two IT folks, a retired Army guy, and one guy I am blanking on right now. Competition shooters and training junkies.
Course Overview:
As Chuck reiterated multiple times, this class was not about teaching people to shoot. Students were expected to show up as capable shooters. This class is designed to get students ready to take High Risk/Low-Percentage Shots. Again, Chuck mentioned several times that he was here to show us what we needed to work on, and how to work on our deficiencies. We got to see “What ‘right’ looks like.”
I’ve followed Chuck online for a while, watching podcasts, and his video content on Youtube. He’s been one of the guys I really wanted to train with, and I can say I was not disappointed at all. This course challenged me. Big time. There was very little downtime, and “story time” was all very germane to the teaching points being made. Chuck is an incredibly humble guy for someone who has accomplished so much in his life. Couple that with an excellent sense of humor, top-notch instructional skills, and a training curriculum unlike anything I have encountered elsewhere, and the proverbial “drinking from a firehose” occurred. The closest thing to Chuck’s coursework I have encountered has been the Rogers Range, and that does not begin to touch on the mindset, and application of the skills in situations where it is absolutely critical to get it right. I can truthfully say that I had more deficiencies corrected in two days, and learned more about what I personally need to work on (and how to do so), than in any other course I have taken.
I will absolutely be attending more of Chuck’s classes in the future.
TD1: Class began on time, and started with a safety brief and the medical plan. This was followed by brief introductions from Chuck and the students, and a short lecture describing the learning objectives for the class, and Chuck’s philosophy on training (Crawl/Walk/Run). We then went to work on the range. We used IPSC cardboard targets, or B8’s (LOTS of B8’s) for targets the vast majority of the class. We also used some 7/8” pasters for a few drills. Additionally, we did some work on the crit hit steel, and the plate rack. TD1 focused primarily on accuracy and familiarization with Chuck’s standards.
TD2: We continued on from where we left off, gradually adding to the equation, trying to figure out where our individual breaking points were. Both days incorporated a significant amount of SHO and WHO shooting, and we were pushed until the wheels fell off. I’d like to mention that we had some truly excellent shooters in the class, and everyone found their failure points. Chuck is a master at the target size vs speed game, and was able to adjust as necessary to make sure everyone was challenged, without leaving anyone behind. Individual attention was frequent and thorough, as needed. By the end of the day, everyone was gassed, but it was also obvious everyone had a great time.
Final Thoughts:
I’m still processing the vast majority of what we covered. This was not a class where you got one or two nuggets – almost everything Chuck said was one of those, “Wow…never thought about it like that” moments. His training methodologies and curriculum are extraordinarily well thought-out, and it is hard to believe this was only his second Open Enrollment No-Fail Pistol class. We had a small class of shooters that were willing to push, so Chuck kept adding to the equation. He constantly had more to share, with no fumbling for more content.
I have a new-found appreciation for shot accountability and self-diagnosis, as well as the tools to work on both. I would unequivocally recommend this course, and feel that anyone in a position where needing to take a no-fail is likely NEEDS this class. I’m looking at you, SWAT dudes. Even as a road monkey, I feel the skills gained from this class are potentially life-saving from a legal, financial, or even an emotional standpoint. Kudos to Chuck for bringing something fresh to the table, and keeping it relevant as hell.
Chuck ended class with a talk about why he does what he does. It was obvious that Chuck has a genuine desire to see to it that the good guys have the skills necessary to triumph over the badguys, and that it is very personal for him. The emotion was blatant. We ended with receiving certificates, and broke.
For anyone serious about being a better gunfighter, get to one of these classes. You will not regret it.
ABOUT Chuck Pressburg:
SGM(R) Pressburg retired from the Army on 1 Jan 2017 after over 26 years of active service, mostly in Special Operations and Special Missions Units. After Infantry and Airborne Training in 1990, Chuck completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program and was assigned to the 1st Bn, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Chuck’s various assignments included:
10 years in the 75th Ranger Regt including platoon sergeant of a 65 man strike force deployed to Afghanistan twice in 2001/2002. Platoon highly decorated during the battle of Takur Ghar (Robert’s Ridge) for recovery of 2 missing US Servicemen.
24 Months rifle and sniper squad leader 82nd Airborne Division.
2 years Asymmetric Warfare Group(AWG) (Founding member, 1st Active Army unit member deployed to combat, Selection class #1, Operational Training Course (OTC) Class #1) Spending over 20 months in Operation Iraqi Freedom, conducting Small Kill Team (SKT) operations and Direct Action raids in support of conventional and Special Operations Forces.
12 years, HQ USASOC performing various tasks as required including a two-year assignment to the G8 section where Chuck performed Science and Technology R&D. While assigned to USASOC Chuck graduated from the Defense Acquisitions University’s Combat Developer’s Course and The Human Factors Engineering (MANPRINT) Course. Chuck spent several years assisting in material acquisition programs for SOF.
Equipment:
- “Roland Special” Glock 19
- AE 147gr fmj
- Mix of Magpul and OEM magazines
- Four of the OEM mags had +6 TTI extenders
- Safariland 6354DO holster
- BFG padded war belt
- Safariland Slimline 775 triple mag pouch
- Dark Angel Medical DARK Lite IFAK
- SOFTT-W in 1110 belt pouch
Prior Experience:
Multiple classes with Patrick Rogers/EAG Tactical, Patrick Mcnamara TAPS Pistol and Rifle, Patrick Mcnamara TAPS Instructor, Frank Proctor Performance Pistol and Rifle, FLETC Firearms Instructor Training Program, FLETC Advanced Pistol Training Program, NRA LE Division Handgun/Shotgun Instructor, Tom Givens Instructor Development, Tom Givens Advanced Instructor, Rogers Shooting School, William Petty VCQB Instructor, Glock Operator Course, Alexander Global Strategies Executive Protection Course, FLETC Basic Tactical Medical Instructor Training Program, FLETC Active Shooter Threat Instructor Training Program, ITTS (Keary Miller) Law Enforcement Tactical Trauma Course, several hundred hours of department firearms training, several regional firearms courses.
Range:
Meadhall Range, Mcloud, OK (approximately 20 mins East of OKC). Outdoor range with 10 lanes, goes back to 300+ yards, however we used from the 25 in. Range has steels (including a crit-hit hostage target, and a plate rack), turning targets and moving targets (currently being refurbished), indoor (clean) restrooms (for both males and females). Current owner is in the process of upgrading the facility.
Full disclosure: The range owner is one of my oldest friends, so I may be biased, but the facility is very nice, and will offer some capabilities that are far from common in most civilian ranges.
Class Demographics:
7 students – two cops, a doctor, two IT folks, a retired Army guy, and one guy I am blanking on right now. Competition shooters and training junkies.
Course Overview:
As Chuck reiterated multiple times, this class was not about teaching people to shoot. Students were expected to show up as capable shooters. This class is designed to get students ready to take High Risk/Low-Percentage Shots. Again, Chuck mentioned several times that he was here to show us what we needed to work on, and how to work on our deficiencies. We got to see “What ‘right’ looks like.”
I’ve followed Chuck online for a while, watching podcasts, and his video content on Youtube. He’s been one of the guys I really wanted to train with, and I can say I was not disappointed at all. This course challenged me. Big time. There was very little downtime, and “story time” was all very germane to the teaching points being made. Chuck is an incredibly humble guy for someone who has accomplished so much in his life. Couple that with an excellent sense of humor, top-notch instructional skills, and a training curriculum unlike anything I have encountered elsewhere, and the proverbial “drinking from a firehose” occurred. The closest thing to Chuck’s coursework I have encountered has been the Rogers Range, and that does not begin to touch on the mindset, and application of the skills in situations where it is absolutely critical to get it right. I can truthfully say that I had more deficiencies corrected in two days, and learned more about what I personally need to work on (and how to do so), than in any other course I have taken.
I will absolutely be attending more of Chuck’s classes in the future.
TD1: Class began on time, and started with a safety brief and the medical plan. This was followed by brief introductions from Chuck and the students, and a short lecture describing the learning objectives for the class, and Chuck’s philosophy on training (Crawl/Walk/Run). We then went to work on the range. We used IPSC cardboard targets, or B8’s (LOTS of B8’s) for targets the vast majority of the class. We also used some 7/8” pasters for a few drills. Additionally, we did some work on the crit hit steel, and the plate rack. TD1 focused primarily on accuracy and familiarization with Chuck’s standards.
TD2: We continued on from where we left off, gradually adding to the equation, trying to figure out where our individual breaking points were. Both days incorporated a significant amount of SHO and WHO shooting, and we were pushed until the wheels fell off. I’d like to mention that we had some truly excellent shooters in the class, and everyone found their failure points. Chuck is a master at the target size vs speed game, and was able to adjust as necessary to make sure everyone was challenged, without leaving anyone behind. Individual attention was frequent and thorough, as needed. By the end of the day, everyone was gassed, but it was also obvious everyone had a great time.
Final Thoughts:
I’m still processing the vast majority of what we covered. This was not a class where you got one or two nuggets – almost everything Chuck said was one of those, “Wow…never thought about it like that” moments. His training methodologies and curriculum are extraordinarily well thought-out, and it is hard to believe this was only his second Open Enrollment No-Fail Pistol class. We had a small class of shooters that were willing to push, so Chuck kept adding to the equation. He constantly had more to share, with no fumbling for more content.
I have a new-found appreciation for shot accountability and self-diagnosis, as well as the tools to work on both. I would unequivocally recommend this course, and feel that anyone in a position where needing to take a no-fail is likely NEEDS this class. I’m looking at you, SWAT dudes. Even as a road monkey, I feel the skills gained from this class are potentially life-saving from a legal, financial, or even an emotional standpoint. Kudos to Chuck for bringing something fresh to the table, and keeping it relevant as hell.
Chuck ended class with a talk about why he does what he does. It was obvious that Chuck has a genuine desire to see to it that the good guys have the skills necessary to triumph over the badguys, and that it is very personal for him. The emotion was blatant. We ended with receiving certificates, and broke.
For anyone serious about being a better gunfighter, get to one of these classes. You will not regret it.
ABOUT Chuck Pressburg:
SGM(R) Pressburg retired from the Army on 1 Jan 2017 after over 26 years of active service, mostly in Special Operations and Special Missions Units. After Infantry and Airborne Training in 1990, Chuck completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program and was assigned to the 1st Bn, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Chuck’s various assignments included:
10 years in the 75th Ranger Regt including platoon sergeant of a 65 man strike force deployed to Afghanistan twice in 2001/2002. Platoon highly decorated during the battle of Takur Ghar (Robert’s Ridge) for recovery of 2 missing US Servicemen.
24 Months rifle and sniper squad leader 82nd Airborne Division.
2 years Asymmetric Warfare Group(AWG) (Founding member, 1st Active Army unit member deployed to combat, Selection class #1, Operational Training Course (OTC) Class #1) Spending over 20 months in Operation Iraqi Freedom, conducting Small Kill Team (SKT) operations and Direct Action raids in support of conventional and Special Operations Forces.
12 years, HQ USASOC performing various tasks as required including a two-year assignment to the G8 section where Chuck performed Science and Technology R&D. While assigned to USASOC Chuck graduated from the Defense Acquisitions University’s Combat Developer’s Course and The Human Factors Engineering (MANPRINT) Course. Chuck spent several years assisting in material acquisition programs for SOF.
